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Where to go in December / Finland in December / Southern Finland / December

Finland · Beach

Southern Finland
in December.

Illustration of Leafy Aura River waterfront in Turku
Aura River, TurkuDestination view, not month-specific.

Is December a good time?

Temperature unit

Cold days.
Fewer overnight stays than November.

December averages 33°F afternoons and 41°F seas, with about 14 rain days. Later December is typically cooler.

Afternoons
33°F
Sea
41°F
Visitor demand
33%of July peak

Historical Etelä-Suomi regional averages, not a forecast or a measure of queues. Overnight demand compares average stays per day. Covers Turku; conditions vary within the region.

Overall match

3.0/10 · scores & priorities

What matters most?

Weather 50% · Crowds 30% · Cost 20%

#12 of 12 months here · Balanced mix

Weather1.0/10Poor
CrowdsLow seasonvs its own year; overnight stays do not measure queuesFor its size, typical for Europe this month
CostPriceyfor Europe

Overall combines weather, overnight demand and cost. It does not include sea temperature.

Plan your December

What to expect.

What should I pack?

Afternoons around 33°F (1°C): a winter coat, hat and gloves. Bring rain gear: about 14 days with at least 1 mm of rain. About 6 hours of daylight.

Can I swim in December?

The sea averages 41°F. Our swimming guide: very cold: wetsuit weather. Your comfort will vary. This is open water near the coast, not a beach-specific reading.

Monthly coastal averages from NOAA, 2011–2025. Sea temperature is separate from the weather and Overall scores.

A typical day: temperatures & daylightAfternoons, nights, sea temperature & daylight Show detailsHide details

About 6 hours of daylight.

Sunrise 09:25Sunset 15:0425°F33°F00:0006:0012:0018:0024:00

The sun rises about 09:25 and sets about 15:04 (local time, mid-month). Mornings start around 25°F (−4°C); afternoons reach about 33°F (1°C). Expect rain on about 14 days in a typical December.

Typical afternoon
33°F (1°C)
average daily high, 15 recent Decembers
Night low
25°F (−4°C)
average daily minimum
Sea
41°F (5°C)
very cold; open water near the coast, NOAA satellite record 2011–2025
Daylight
5h 39m
on the 15th, computed from latitude

Early, middle or late?

Early or late December?

Early December is typically warmer. The afternoon high averages 34°F on the 1st, versus 30°F on the 31st. Historical wet-day frequency falls from 42% to 38% between those dates.

Early December 1 December

34°F

Typical afternoon high

42% historical wet-day frequency

Mid December 15 December

33°F

Typical afternoon high

47% historical wet-day frequency

Late December 31 December

30°F

Typical afternoon high

38% historical wet-day frequency

Historical daily averages from 2011–2025, smoothed over two weeks. A seasonal pattern, not a forecast. This does not establish which week has the lowest prices or fewest visitors.

Daily calendar & holiday datesDecember 2026 · historical weather & dated holidays Show calendarHide calendar

December 2026 calendar

Weather shows historical patterns, not a forecast. Holidays and events use the dates shown for 2026.

MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
134°234°333°433°533°633°
733°833°933°1033°1133°1233°1333°
1433°1533°1633°1733°1833°1933°2033°
2133°2233°2333°2433°2533°2633°2732°
2831°2931°3030°3130°

Afternoon high rain likely (25%+) local school holidays public holiday event

School-holiday dates for December 2026 aren't available in our data yet. A day without a school marker doesn't mean schools are open.

Afternoons cool from about 33°F (1°C) in the first week to 31°F (0°C) in the last. The chance of a wet day runs 38–50%.

Elsewhere in December 2026, the share of people living where schools are out on a typical day: France 39%, Germany 29%, Italy 35%, Spain 32%. (School holidays: OpenHolidays, ODbL.)

Crowds and cost

Visitor season

Will it be busy?

Low season. December averages 33% of July's overnight stays per day. Fewer overnight stays than November.

Overnight stays across Etelä-Suomi do not measure queues, day visitors or congestion at individual sights. For its size, typical for Europe this month.

Accommodation price season

Will it be cheaper?

About usual. Historical regional accommodation revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €106 per occupied unit per night. An average, not a booking quote.

Fewer overnight stays do not automatically mean cheaper rooms. Check actual quotes for your trip.

Historical accommodation average
€106
2024–2025 monthly average; accommodation revenue per occupied unit per night; not a current booking quote. −1% vs this region's usual month.
Finland as a whole
Above EU average
2024 restaurants and hotels price level: 127 where the EU average is 100. A relative index, not a room rate.

Statistics Finland 11ix covers hotels and other registered accommodation, including VAT. Units and coverage.

Year-to-year variation

How much does December vary?

Across the recorded years

In the 15 years from 2011 to 2025, the month's afternoons averaged between 23°F (−5°C) and 39°F (4°C); in 5 of them they were within 3°F (1.5°C) of the typical 33°F (1°C). Rain days ranged from 5 to 21; half the years had 12–16.

Rain days in each December

Historical rain days; exact figures in the table below. 2011: 21 rain days2120112012: 17 rain days172013: 15 rain days152014: 14 rain days142015: 11 rain days112016: 5 rain days52017: 18 rain days182018: 13 rain days132019: 15 rain days152020: 14 rain days142021: 8 rain days82022: 16 rain days162023: 12 rain days122024: 13 rain days132025: 13 rain days132025
Rain days
14
at least 1 mm, typical year; about 18 in a wet year
Mostly sunny days
1 of 31
cloud cover under 30%
Years with a 95°F+ day
0 of 15
no December in the last 15 years had a day at or above 95°F (35°C)
Good weather days
0 of 31
rated very good or better
See every recorded DecemberHistorical monthly averages, year by year Show detailsHide details
Historical monthly averages, not daily extremes.
YearAfternoon highRain days
201138°F21
201223°F17
201337°F15
201433°F14
201539°F11
201634°F5
201735°F18
201831°F13
201937°F15
202036°F14
202124°F8
202229°F16
202326°F12
202435°F13
202538°F13

Checked against 23 local weather stations. How we check

Compare dates

November, December
or January?

Historical regional averages. Overnight demand vs July peak, measured as average stays per day.
Typical conditionsNovDecJan
Afternoons40°F33°F28°F
Sea46°F41°F36°F
Rain days111413
Overnight demand39%33%30%

November: Warmer afternoons, warmer sea and fewer rain days than December. More overnight demand. November guide →

January: Cooler afternoons and cooler sea than December. January guide →

Overnight demand measures accommodation stays, not queues. Sea temperatures are monthly coastal averages.

Compare any of the 12 monthsChoose another month and compare it with December Show comparisonHide comparison

Yellow marks the top three months on the Balanced mix. December stays as your reference.

May to September have a Weather score at least 1.0 point higher than December, but more overnight stays.

Your comparison

December or November?

Overnight stays are 39% of the busiest month.

Historical regional accommodation revenue (2024–2025 monthly average): €106 per occupied unit per night. An average, not a booking quote.

Read the November guide →
December compared with another month
Typical conditionsDecemberNovember
Afternoons33°F40°F
Nights25°F31°F
Sea41°F46°F
Rain days1411
Visitor seasonLow seasonModerate season
Overall / 103.03.0
Month rank#12#11
Every month, in detail Show detailsHide details
All 12 months. Scores and ranks follow your priorities. Explore the whole year.
MonthOverallRankHighLowSeaRain daysWeatherVisitor season
January3.0#728°F18°F36°F131.0Low season
February3.0#830°F19°F34°F101.0Moderate season
March3.0#937°F23°F34°F71.0Moderate season
April3.7#648°F31°F37°F81.7Moderate season
May5.9#361°F42°F44°F74.7Moderate season
June6.3#169°F51°F54°F106.8Busy season
July5.7#473°F55°F62°F117.4Peak season
August6.2#270°F53°F64°F126.5Busy season
September5.6#561°F46°F59°F104.0Moderate season
October3.0#1048°F37°F52°F111.0Moderate season
November3.0#1140°F31°F46°F111.0Moderate season
December3.0#1233°F25°F41°F141.0Low season

Near here

Nearby places in December

Nearby regions, nearest first. Distances are centre to centre, as the crow flies; they are not road distances or journey times.

Elsewhere in Europe

Better December weather than Southern Finland

Southern Finland's weather ranks 75 of 77 beach regions this month. These beach regions outside Finland have clearly better weather on your dates, nearest first, each compared with Southern Finland.

All of Finland in December · Everywhere in December

How we knowSources, regional scope & scoring method Show detailsHide details

The Finnish series covers hotels, cottages and other registered accommodation with at least 20 beds or electrical caravan pitches. A rental unit may be a room, a cottage or an electrical pitch. Prices include VAT. Accommodation coverage.

It's low season, 33% of the busiest month and 35% below its average month. That means about 5,700 overnight visitors on a typical December night across the region, 92% of them from Finland itself. Rentals booked through Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor add up to 1,500 more: 26 for every 100 counted above. Some are the same properties counted twice.

Climate suitability (HCI:Beach, 0–100)30
How our weather was checked23 open weather stations in this region, January and July: afternoon highs typically within 1°F (0.2°C), night lows within 1°F (0.1°C).
Tourist nights per 1,000 residents per day5
Busiest month hereJuly · 15
Visitors as share of people present0.5%
Rank among Europe's regions this month26th percentile
Domestic share of nights92%
Platform rental nights per 100 counted nights26
Visitor share if every platform night were extra0.6%
Population used1.2 million
Statistical regionFI1C · Etelä-Suomi

Crowds: Eurostat nights spent at tourist accommodation, by month and NUTS 2 region, 2024–2025 average. Overnight visitors per night is the month's nights divided by its days; the per-1,000 figure is Eurostat's, against each year's population. Platform rentals: Eurostat nights booked via Airbnb, Booking, Expedia and Tripadvisor, 2024–2025 average, shown separately because some properties are in both counts. Weather: Holiday Climate Index computed from ERA5 reanalysis with daily highs, night lows and rain days corrected from open national weather-service station records, 2011–2025, population-weighted to the region; day-by-day figures are the same data averaged by date. Heat and rain odds are counted across those years. Sunrise and sunset: NOAA solar equations, local time. Prices: Eurostat price level index and HICP, national; the first figure is regional (Statistics Finland, StatFin 11ix: average room price per occupied room (incl. VAT)). Full method · this region's data.